Exports of Scotch whisky reached record levels last year despite the global recession, with worldwide sales breaking through the £3bn barrier for the second successive year.

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) said sales volumes of both blended and malt whiskies had increased by 4% in 2009, with sales buoyant in France, the United States, Brazil, Venezuela and South Africa, despite a slow start to the year blamed on weak consumer confidence and "destocking" by retailers.

The sales increase, which saw the cash value of those exports rise by 3% to £3.13bn, have buoyed Scotland's most significant export after poor UK sales last year. The SWA said domestic sales – based on the release of whisky from bonded warehouses – fell 11% to 92m bottles.

Last year's whisky exports also contrast strongly with gloomy figures for overall export figures for Scottish industries, which fell by 10% last year despite rallying in the last quarter of 2009 by 2.9%. Metals and textiles, furs and leathers were the heaviest hit, falling by 24% and 17.4%.

Scottish businesses also appear to be slower to emerge from the recession, which began later than in other parts of the UK, making them heavily dependent on the slow increase in exports.

The Scottish Chambers of Commerce said that a sustained recovery was still eluding many industries, partly due to the intense winter, VAT returning to 17.5%, and a fall in public sector capital projects spending by the Scottish government.

The SWA used the contrast in overseas and domestic sales to repeat their demand for a significant and "long overdue" reform in the UK's excise duty system after the election. Duty on whisky has grown by nearly 22% since the beginning of 2008, it said, and suffers discrimination compared to beers and wine. It is pressing for all drinks to be taxed on the basis of their alcohol content.

Paul Walsh, its chairman, said: "Scotch whisky distillers have delivered record exports in the face of a global economic downturn. It is an impressive performance, underscoring the importance of Scotch whisky to the UK economy. The industry is continuing to invest and sustain its efforts to secure fair access to export markets. We look to the next UK government to work with us to build on Scotch whisky's success in the future."

The US remains the biggest single importer of whisky, up 13% to £419m, while southern America, particularly Brazil, had seen 17% growth chiefly due to intensive sales efforts by global firms such as Diageo. Europe and Asia were more troubled, however, with total sales falling 1% on the continent to £1.26bn and falling by 9% to Asia, down to £543m. There were signs that in South Korea sales would grow this year, while exports to Japan rose by 1% in 2009, for the first time since 2001.

Emrys Inker, director of corporate affairs at the Edrington Group, the privately owned distillers that make Macallan and Highland Park malt whiskies and the Famous Grouse blend, said the firm had focused heavily on the US, Taiwan and South Korea.

It had appointed its own sales and distribution teams in Asia and the US, where it sponsored whisky nosing and tasting events, and had a joint promotions initiative with Jim Beam bourbon in 24 markets. It has particularly pushed more expensive "expressions" of its premium Macallan malt.

"The European market has been very difficult for us and all other whisky companies," he said. "We've probably been making more progress in the Asian markets and also the US has proven to be robust, probably at the premium end of the malt whisky market."